Leica V-Lux 4 pictures and hands-on

Leica has always re-licked Panasonic's top-spec compact cameras, and the Leica V-Lux 4 is no different. Those aware of the Panasonic FZ200 will see the immediate and obvious similarities, but there are one or two sheeny Leica elements that go towards the heightened £690 asking price.

The "red dot" on the front of the camera is the most obvious, as well as the bold and silvered "Leica" text below the brow of the pop-up flash.

On the back of the vari-angle screen there's also a subtly embossed Leica logo in the plastic.

The menu system also differs. The model we had to play with at Photokina in Cologne, Germany, was - no surprises - set up in German so we weren't 100 per cent sure what was what.

As per the FZ200, which Leica has like-for-like features, the V-Lux 4's 24-600mm equivalent lens can maintain an f/2.8 aperture throughout the full focal range. Now that's top grade stuff.

In our quick test everything else felt much the same to us - a good thing, given how much we liked the FZ200.

If Leica's your thing and you've got the spare cash then this prestigious-looking re-badge ought to be right up your street. There aren't better superzooms around - if you ignore the inflated price tag.

Gaming geek, semi-failed cyclist, big screen and movie lover and fan of both big beats and beer. As the former Reviews Editor at What Digital Camera, self-confessed camera geek Mike has seen pretty much every digital camera that's been made. His work has featured in a variety of well-respected titles, including Wired, TechRadar, Professional Photographer and many more.